"Unequivocal endorsement of Christianity:" Judge weighs in on Hamilton deputy baptism

HAMILTON COUNTY, Tenn. — UPDATE (April 8th, 2022):

A judge has weighed in on a lawsuit filed against two Hamilton County deputies by a woman who says she was baptized shortly after a traffic stop in 2019.

Scroll down to read the details of what the woman claims Hamilton County Deputies Daniel Wilkey and Jacob Goforth.

Deputy Goforth had filed several motions to dismiss the counts in the lawsuit. While the judge agreed to dismiss some, he still kept others in place -- and weighed in on what he thought the deputies did that was wrong.

In his ruling, Judge Travis R. McDonough writes "No government interest is furthered by the baptism of a detainee by an on-duty law-enforcement officer."

"To the contrary, “[i]t is beyond dispute that, at a minimum, the Constitution guarantees that the government may not coerce anyone to support or participate in religion or its exercise, or otherwise act in a way which establishes a state religion..." Judge McDonough continues.

About Deputy Goforth, the judge writes, "A jury could therefore find that Goforth had reason to know of a constitutional violation and an opportunity to stop the violation such that he is liable for his failure to intervene."

He says, "There is no indication in the record that either officer understood or intended the baptism as anything but an exercise of faith and religion. Any reasonable observer would conclude that the effect of the baptism was an unequivocal endorsement of Christianity."

The judge did dismiss the individual claims against Goforth. But he ruled the lawsuit can proceed.

Depend on us to keep you posted as we learn more.

Read the judge's full summary:

Read more about what the woman claims the deputies did below:

UPDATE (March 9, 2020):

In court filings, Daniel Wilkey admitted to baptizing a woman he arrested in February 2019. However, he says it was she who, unprompted, specifically asked Wilkey to do it so she could "turn away from her life of drug abuse and crime."

See the latest at the link here.

PREVIOUS UPDATE (Nov. 11, 2019):

Online court records show that all charges against Shandle Marie Riley were dismissed on Monday.

Bruce Garner, spokesman for Hamilton County District Attorney Neal Pinkston, says Pinkston moved that her guilty plea and conviction plea be dropped because the conviction was “the result of deprivations and denials of rights secured by both the State of Tennessee and the United States constitution.”

Depend on us to keep you posted.

ORIGINAL STORY (October 1, 2019):

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WTVC) -- A woman is suing Hamilton County government and two Hamilton County Sheriff's deputies after she says one of them, during the course of her arrest, stripped to his underwear and baptized her in Soddy Lake, in the northern part of the county.

The deputies named in the lawsuit are Deputy Daniel Wilkey and Deputy Jacob Goforth.

Shandle Marie Riley claims in the lawsuit that the incident happened back on February 6th, between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m.

Riley says she was driving alone, and pulled into a gas station, where Wilkey was, and bought cigarettes and gas. Later, Deputy Wilkey pulled her car over in the driveway of a friend's home, where her minor child was staying.

The lawsuit says Deputy Wilkey told Riley he believed she possessed methamphetamine, and ordered her out of the vehicle. The lawsuit says Wilkey then searched her "unlawfully," covering every area of her body. It claims Wilkey then asked her to "reach under her shirt and pull out her bra and shake the bra and shirt." Riley says she asked if a female officer could be present for the search, to which Wilkey replied "the law did not require" it.

Wilkey then asked if she had anything illegal in her car. She replied that she had a marijuana "roach" in a pack of cigarettes, and gave him the pack.

Wilkey then searched the vehicle, and according to the lawsuit "insulted the plaintiff," calling her a "piece of s---," saying she was lying about not having other drugs. But the lawsuit says Wilkey found nothing other than the "roach."

The lawsuit says Wilkey then asked her if she was "saved" and believed in Jesus Christ. She responded that she believed in Jesus Christ, but that she was not "saved" by her own choice.

The lawsuit goes on to say Wilkey told Riley that "God was talking to him during the vehicle search, and [he] felt the Lord wanted him to baptize the plaintiff.," and said that he felt "the spirit."

Wilkey then told Riley to get towels inside the home for a baptism, and said he would issue her only a criminal citation for marijuana and not take her to jail, according to the lawsuit. Riley says she got the towels, and followed Wilkey in his patrol car, not saying where he was taking her. Riley says she was afraid to ignore Wilkey and not do as he commanded.

The two arrived at Soddy Lake, and were joined by Deputy Goforth. The lawsuit says Wilkey told Riley that Goforth was needed as a witness for the baptism to be "valid."

The lawsuit says Wilkey then stripped down to his boxer shorts, and gave Riley the option to remove her clothes, which she declined. It says Wilkey then led her to waist deep, cold water, put one hand on her back and the other on her breasts, and submerged her underwater for "several moments." At this moment, Riley says she "felt horribly violated."

Then, according to the lawsuit, Wilkey used one towel to dry off and let Riley dry off with the other one, while Goforth "smirked" at her as she was using it.

NewsChannel 9 obtained a citation written by Deputy Wilkey that does not recount the baptism incident. It claims that he stopped Riley for a tinted window violation and license tag obstruction, and says she admitted to having "a joint" in her car.

On February 6th, Riley pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance, and was given a suspended sentence. She remains on probation.

The lawsuit is seeking $1,000,000 in compensatory damages and $10,000,000 in punitive damages.

Read the full lawsuit below:

Wilkey is also named in a lawsuit by James Mitchell, the man who is at the center of an excessive force investigation that led to him and another deputy placed on administrative leave. Read more about that here.

Depend on us to keep you posted on this case.